Editorial: Americans should not be cowed by Boston Marathon attack

While it remains too early to fully place blame for Monday's sinister bomb attack at the Boston Marathon, it is abundantly clear that this was an act of terror against the United States.

Whether the perpetrators of this evil act turn out to be foreign or domestic, the fact remains that they are terrorists.

At last count there were three dead and more than 150 injured, including a 12-year-old Martinez boy. There were a number of the injured who suffered amputation of limbs.

The bomb did not inflict the kind carnage that occurred during 9/11, but it does serve as a painful reminder of that horrible day nearly 13 years ago.

Placing a bomb at a public event such as the marathon usually is designed to serve two purposes: first to do maximum damage and second to scare the victims into changing their lifestyle. The result makes people feel unsafe and unprotected.

The chill created by the notion of dead children and severed body parts strewed about the streets of Boston has done just that. At least temporarily.

But Americans should not be cowed. As it did after 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing, the nation will survive this and carry on.

The FBI is leading the investigation of this bombing. It has the kind of resources needed to effectively conduct such a monumental investigation. Leads on this matter could stretch halfway around the world.

It was two explosions 16 seconds apart at about 2:50 p.m. that rocked the finish-line area at Monday's marathon. The marathon is one of America's most iconic and interactive sporting events, which may explain why it was the target.

The initial response by authorities to the crisis was responsible. Air traffic at Boston's Logan Airport was quickly halted, police closed off sections of city and state troopers and National Guard members descended on the city to patrol.

President Barack Obama was right to remind the nation not to jump to specific conclusions about who may have been responsible for this act or why. It may take a while, but we have every confidence that the FBI will pursue the bomber or bombers and they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. In the meantime, our hearts and prayers go out to the blast's victims and their families.